PM Modi Inaugurates Development Projects In Khajuraho On Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Birth Anniversary

New Delhi, On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several development projects in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Modi also greeted the Christian community in India and around the world on the occasion of Christmas. He congratulated the people of Madhya Pradesh on the completion of one year of the government led by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav. Modi noted the acceleration of development work and the launch of new infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores of rupees in the last year.

The Prime Minister highlighted the laying of the foundation stone for the historic Ken-Betwa river linking project, the Daudhan dam, and the Omkareshwar floating solar project, which is Madhya Pradesh's first solar power plant. He congratulated the people of Madhya Pradesh on these initiatives.

Terming the day as remarkably inspirational on the occasion of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth centenary, the Prime Minister said that it is a festival of good governance and service serving as an inspiration to all of us. Remembering Vajpayee while releasing the commemorative stamp and coin, the Prime Minister said that Vajpayee had nurtured and mentored many foot soldiers like him over the years. He added that Atalji's service towards the development of the nation will always remain indelible in our memory.

Modi underlined that work on more than 1100 Atal Gram Sushan Sadan will begin today, and the first installment has been released for the same. He remarked that the Atal Gram Seva Sadan will propel the development of the villages.

Emphasizing that Good Governance Day is not a one-day affair, Modi said “Good Governance is the identity of our Governments”. He thanked the people for serving for the third consecutive time at the Center and continuously allowing them to serve in Madhya Pradesh, and said that Good Governance is the strongest factor behind this.

The Prime Minister urged the intellectuals, political analysts, and other noted academicians to evaluate the country after having completed 75 years of Independence on the parameters of development, public welfare, and Good Governance. He highlighted that their Government had been successful in ensuring People’s Welfare and developmental works whenever they had the opportunity to serve the people.

Modi said, “If we are evaluated on certain parameters, the country will see how dedicated we are towards the common people”. He added that the Government worked tirelessly to realize the dreams of our freedom fighters who had shed their blood for our nation.

The Prime Minister underlined that good governance requires not only good schemes but also effective implementation and highlighted that the measure of good governance is the extent to which government schemes benefit the people. He noted that during previous governments which made announcements, the benefits did not reach the people due to a lack of intent and seriousness in implementation.

Modi emphasized the benefits of schemes like the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, where farmers in Madhya Pradesh receive ₹12,000, and said that this was made possible by opening Jan Dhan bank accounts. He highlighted the Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh, noting that it would not have been possible without linking bank accounts to Aadhaar and mobile numbers.

The Prime Minister remarked that while cheap ration schemes existed before, the poor had to struggle to get ration while today, the poor receive free ration with complete transparency, thanks to the introduction of technology that eliminated fraud and nationwide facilities like One Nation, and One Ration Card.

Modi remarked that good governance means that citizens should not have to beg the government for their rights or run around government offices. He highlighted that their policy is to connect 100% of beneficiaries with 100% of benefits, which sets their governments apart from others. He noted that the entire country is witnessing this, which is why they repeatedly allowed them to serve.

Emphasizing that good governance addresses both current and future challenges, the Prime Minister said that unfortunately, the people of Bundelkhand suffered greatly for decades because of the misgovernance of previous governments. He highlighted that many generations of farmers and women in Bundelkhand struggled for every drop of water due to the lack of effective governance and thought of a permanent solution to the water crisis by erstwhile dispensations.

Remarking that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was one of the first to understand the importance of river water for India, Modi highlighted that the major river valley projects in India were based on Dr. Ambedkar's vision, and the Central Water Commission was also established due to his efforts. The Prime Minister expressed anguish that previous governments never gave Dr. Ambedkar the due credit for his contributions to water conservation and large dam projects, and they were never serious about these efforts.

Emphasizing that even after seven decades, many states in India still have water disputes, the Prime Minister remarked that the lack of intent and misgovernance of previous dispensations prevented any concrete efforts.